We arguably live in a throwaway culture in the West: instead of fixing or upscaling things, we tend to buy new products. And many of us spend money on frivolous things, left, right, and center. That new phone that just came out? That cutting-edge fashion statement of a coat? We’ve got to have them. Here and now. However, there is a different way to live.

The r/Frugal subreddit is here to save the day (and your wallet). A community of over 2 million dedicated members, it’s a platform for people to share advice on how to live a frugal lifestyle. And it’s been active ever since 2008. We’ve collected some of their best recent thrifty hacks below.

When you’re done enjoying this list and upvoting all of your favorite pics, make sure to drop by the comment section to share any frugal living tips that you might have, dear Pandas. And if you’re in the mood for some more r/Frugal goodness, be sure to check out Bored Panda’s previous article about the online community right over here.

Bored Panda was interested in learning more about frugal living and how to save money, so we reached out to financial expert Sam Dogen to get his take on things. Sam is the author of ‘Buy This, Not That: How to Spend Your Way to Wealth and Freedom’ and the founder of Financial Samurai. He told us that the number one thing that we should be doing is saving more money. Or, as he calls it, paying ourselves first.

"We need to always pay ourselves first by automatically contributing to our tax-advantaged retirement accounts and setting aside a recommended 20% or more of after-tax earnings to save and invest. The more you can make your savings and investing automatic, the better. People are surprisingly good at living on less," he said. You'll find our full interview with Sam below, dear Pandas.

#1 Wanted New Fabric, Wouldn't Get New Fabric Until I Used My Old Stuff. Wanted A Rug, Didn't Want To Pay For A Rug. Two Birds, One Stone! Work In Progress. Made From New Batting (Less Than $20) And Scrap Fabric (Some 20+ Years Old). Not The Prettiest Thing I've Made, But I Like It

Image credits: Rayquellen

#2 Hi-Vis Jackets For Dogs Are Between $40 And $80 Nzd - I Brought A Second Hand Child’s Hi-Vis Jacket For $1 And It Fits Perfectly! Frugal Win!

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#3 I Refuse To Pay The Silly Prices For A Stuffed Toy, My Son Wanted A Few Characters To Match The (British) Children’s TV Shows. So I Made Them From Felt Instead

Image credits: reddit

According to author and financial expert Sam, people easily overspend on food and entertainment the most. Many of them aren't aware of how much they're actually spending.

"I was talking to one woman who thought she should only be spending $4,000 a month on food and entertainment. Yet, she always gets a credit card bill for $10,000 a month instead. She had no idea where all the money was going. When she finally did a detailed analysis, she realized she consistently overspent on food, drinks, and all sorts of automatic streaming subscriptions such as Netflix, Disney+, and more," he gave a specific example about the importance of taking a close look at one's finances.

#4 Rosemary Went Crazy In The Garden - So I’m Using Sprigs To Freshen The Bathroom - The Steam From The Shower Accentuates The Smell Keeping The Bathroom Smelling Fresh

Image credits: Scarlettpunk

#5 Crochet Swiffer Mops. Wet Refills Add Up With 2 Dogs. No More! Made 2 For $3/Ea And They Work Way Better Than The Refills

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#6 I Drive Through A Nice Neighborhood On My Way To The Grocery Store. Found This Dyson Dc40 With A Free Sign With Other Household Items In The Yard. Brought It Home And The Suction Was Horrible. Watched A Single Youtube Video To Remove The Clogs - Needs A Good Clean But It Works Perfectly

Image credits: kittyquestion303

Sam personally believes that we don't live in a throwaway culture. "Overall, we are becoming more conscientious of how we spend our money and recycle products. From buying secondhand cars, to getting hand-me-down children’s clothes, to buying used luxury items on the Internet, we are making our money go farther. But I do believe there will be more revenge spending going on this year and next year as we move on from the pandemic."

According to the expert, the biggest benefit of living frugally is saving yourself time, which is your greatest resource (alongside energy). "The less you need, the less you have to work. And the less you have to work, the more time you save to do whatever you want," he said.

"As a frugal person, there is also a mental decluttering. The fewer things you have, the more free feel. Attachment is one of the reasons for suffering. To be able to let go is a wonderful feeling and ability."

#7 I Am Too Cheap To Buy Cuff Links And I Work In A Machine Shop

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#8 Vet Didn't Give Us Cones When They Got Neutered/Spayed So We Improvised! (We Made Sure They Could Breath And Eat Just Fine)

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#9 Get A Library Card...

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For the r/Frugal crowd, frugality is a mental approach that people take when they think about resource allocation. “It includes time, money, convenience, and many other factors.” It’s all about wasting less and gaining more.

What’s more, the subreddit stresses that everyone has a slightly different understanding of what frugality and frugal living entails. So it’s best to enjoy the content and discuss things peacefully. Fights over semantics, on the other hand, aren’t very welcome. In short, the community is open to everyone and frowns on gatekeeping.

#10 Don't Forget About The Abandoned Paint Can Section Of Lowe's & Home Depot. Scored A Gallon Of This Color For Only $9!! You Can't Even Get A Sample For That Price. (Sorry, No Before Picture. We Were Too Excited To Wait)

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#11 When Your Bar Soap Gets Wafer Thin, You Can Still Use It Up All The Way Be Pressing It Onto The Next Bar When It's Sudsy And Let It Dry

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#12 Since We're Doing Greenhouses, I Built This At The Beginning Of Lockdown With Reclaimed Pvc, Wood, And Polyethylene Film For Greenhouses. It Held Up To 2' Of Snow On Top Over Last Winter As Well As A Handful Of Strong Wind Storms. No Plans, Just Boredom!

Image credits: philipito

Earlier, Jake Butler from the ‘Save the Student’ team that advises British students on how to make their money go further, told Bored Panda about one way to save money. He took a look at food costs and how to reduce them, with regard to saying ‘no’ to fast-food and takeaways while learning to cook at home.

#13 Garden Cart I Made For My Wife. Nearly All Reused, Upcycled Or Free Materials

Image credits: chromebaloney

#14 I Run A Small Coffee Cart; Just Discovered You Can Use Old Cartons As Coffee Trays!

Image credits: Zuki_LuvaBoi

#15 My Fiancé Wanted To Flatten Her Pockets With An Iron But Realized We Didn’t Have One. Showed Her You Can Get By Using A Pot Of Boiling Water And A Spray Bottle. I Guess Growing Up Poor Can Come In Handy

Image credits: PsychologicalSink187

Jake pointed out that you can save quite a lot of money if you choose to eat out less. However, this doesn’t mean having to wave ‘goodbye’ to your favorite meals. You can learn to cook them at home, whether with the help of a recipe book, advice on the internet, or video tutorials. The added bonus is that when you cook for yourself, you’re in total control of what goes into the meal. Nutritional control, here we come.

#16 Finally, A Pinterest Project That Worked Well And For Not Too Much $$

Image credits: Beebwife

#17 Downstairs Mini Fridge Stopped Working. Wife Said To Just Toss It And Get A New One. Watched A Couple Videos On How To Diagnose/Fix Refrigerator Issues. A $9 Replacement Overload Relay Later And It Works Again

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#18 Instead Of Buying A Home In Toronto We Helped Renovate My 91 Year Old Grandmothers Basement Into A Fully Self Contained 2 Bedroom Apartment. We’re Still In The City But Only Paying $700/ Month. Here’s The Master With Hand Me Down Solid Wood Furniture

Image credits: Donaldtrumphentai

“The good news is that you can easily recreate your favorites at home for a fraction of the price. It's much healthier this way too. Google is definitely your friend here as you can find fakeaway recipes from a number of sites,” he told Bored Panda.

#19 I Refuse To My Buy My Baby Girl A "Feminine" Blanket When I Have A Perfectly Good One Leftover From My Son

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#20 I Restored My Own Headlights Today And Am Pretty Proud Of The Result. Saved Over $100 Compared To Taking It To A Shop

Image credits: Unused_Book_keeper

#21 Fall Tip - Lots Of People With Apple Trees Don't Harvest; Never Hurts To Ask!

Image credits: Hali_Stallions

“During the lockdown, McDonald’s even released instructions on how to make their famous breakfast egg McMuffin at home,” Jake said that some companies were very friendly in how they treated their customers, empowering them to cook at home.

#22 Instead Of Buying New Skates I Got These Thrifting For 15$. Soaked Them In The Sink With Gentle Laundry Cleaner And Then Got A Permanent Fabric Marker From An Art Store. I Still Need To Get Laces For It Though

Image credits: Raccoon_Bride

#23 My Sister-In-Law's Christmas Tree

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#24 Obvious But Not Obvious

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“The good news is that the ingredients for most of these recipes aren't too pricey and you can still hunt for bargains to make the dish cheaper. Buying in bulk is always a winner too when it comes to saving money so it's a great idea to get together with friends and maybe take it in turns to make your favorite fakeaways,” he said.

#25 This Cardboard Box Is Now His Favourite Spot (Super Old Towel Included)

Image credits: c00kiem0nster24

#26 Prepping The Garden For Winter. We Pile Mulched Leaves, Add Mesh Or Whatever So The Leaves Don't Blow Off. Then Before The Snow Comes, We Cover With A Black Tarp. The Beds Warm Up Faster In The Spring And The Leaves Compost Down To Make Amazing Rich Soil For Planting

Image credits: spiraloutkeepgoing42

#27 Didn't Had Bread But Didn't Want To Run To The Store Only For That (We Know It's Never Only For Just One Thing). I Had To Use The Oven Anyway, So... Here Is The Best Looking Bread I've Made In My Life

Image credits: Ok_Operation6104

The secret to good-tasting food, Jake told us, lies in the seasoning. “Salt and pepper won't break the bank, but they can make or break a meal. Don't forget that sugar can take a dish to the next level too.

#28 Zero Cost Urban Garden Project In Northern Canada. Harvesting Daily And Planting Quick Producing Cold Weather Crops Like Radishes, Spinach, Lettuce And Chard

Image credits: spiraloutkeepgoing42

#29 My Tried-And-True, Almost Foolproof Method For Growing Endless Green Onions

Image credits: SunOnTheInside

#30 Made A DIY Cardboard House For My Bunnies. I Had My Eye On A $70 One On Etsy But This Works Just The Same. Besides Bunnies Don’t Care About Aesthetics

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#31 Found $128 Free People Sweater With Dark Stain For $15! I Covered It Up With Dip Dye, New Favorite Sweater!

Image credits: decomp_etsy

#32 Repurposing A Damaged Frying Pan, With A Bit Of Paint It's Now A Cool Decorative Bowl

Image credits: c00kiem0nster24

#33 I Finally Understand Why People Buy Large Cuts Of Meat When It Goes On Sale. Quit Job For School, Trying To Be More Frugal, And We Got 2 Large Top Roasts For Buy-One-Get-One-Free And Processed It/Cut It Up At Home Ourselves. Now We Have Meals For Days

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#34 Built My Own Sidewalk With Glacial Sand Dug Up From The Side Yard And Leftover Base Rocks Used During Home Construction

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#35 If You Live In An Apartment Complex Just Check The Dumpster Once In A While. Found A Working V6 Dyson And Just Had To Clear The Roller To Fix. People Throw Away Just About Anything

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#36 My Favorite Wool Socks Still Had Perfect Tops But Thinned Out On The Bottom, So I Patched Them Up

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#37 Someone Left This Fully Functioning 32” Lg TV Out By The Dumpster. Luckily I Snagged It Before The Rain Moved In

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#38 Does Anyone Else Love Making Frankenstein Meals? Cleaning Out The Fridge And Pantry And Using Up All The Odds And Ends Forces Me To Be Creative And Usually Results In Something Delicious And Unique

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#39 Fix For Broken Lid - Drilled A Hole In A Golf Ball And Screwed It On To My Crock Pot. No Need To Dig Up A New Lid. Golf Ball Cost: $0. Screw & Washer: Found In My Tool Box, So $0. Took Me About 10 Mins. New Pot Lid: $30 Or So, Or Replace Entire Crockpot, So Yay!

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#40 Cut My Full-Size Sponge Into 3rds For Doing Dishes

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#41 I Reuse Ziploc Bags Because They Are Expensive Af

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#42 If Anyone Lives In Central Indiana, Brownsburg Goodwill Has A Bunch Of New Wedding Dresses For $19. Rumor Is A Wedding Dress Store Closed And Donated Remaining Stock

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#43 Sneakers Repaired, Thank You Mom!

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#44 Decided To Refurbish My Old Headphones Instead Of Upgrading. $8 For A Pair Of Generic Pads And They Feel Like New!